These are my favorite chili recipes that can also be frozen and defrosted for an easy dinner. You can also serve chili over rice, eggs, quinoa, nachos, baked potatoes or even spaghetti squash. Feel free to make your chili paleo or vegan, and you can skip or include beans. The Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili is a personal favorite of mine and my husband and I usually put it over rice, although traditionally it’s put over pasta.
I know this is a stressful time, so I thought the Healing and Eating family would love this yoga and meditation class that everyone can do while on lockdown. Carrie, the instructor, is a good friend of mine and a talented dancer and yoga instructor, who knows firsthand about struggling with health issues.
Here are the details about the class and how to participate in her words:
In light of our current events, I have decided to bring my Yoga For Chronic Illness class to the digital world.
Yoga For Chronic Illness is a gentle yoga class with focus on breath work, meditation and special consideration for those with chronic conditions. This class is also for anyone who is in need of a little stress relief.
This is a donation based yoga class with a $10 suggested donation. Please join me and give what you can. Whether its $1 or $20 anything is accepted and gratefully received.
Please send donations-
Venmo:
@Carrie-Mikuls
Please join me:
Carrie M is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Yoga For Chronic Illness
Time: Mar 26, 2020 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/610202225
Meeting ID: 610 202 225
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Meeting ID: 610 202 225
Find your local number: https://us04web.zoom.us/u/fiMBIMFO4
If this is your first time using Zoom, I recommend going to the website before hand and creating a free account. This way you can familiarize yourself with it. There is a little bit of a learning curve and it can take a few minutes to figure it out. You can share your screen or keep your camera off. The choice is yours.
Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope to see you there!
For those of you who are home and need to meal plan during this crazy time here are my favorite freezable soups that make a ton of food. Some of these aren’t completely paleo, and do contain beans. Feel free to omit ingredients that don’t make you feel good or add ingredients from your pantry such as rice or pasta. When it comes to meal planning and this pandemic, I’m not being completely strict about my diet. Cooking from whole foods and freezing your leftovers will always be more healthy than processed food.
Roasted Butternut and Apple Soup
Spicy Italian Sausage and Lentil Soup
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Italian Cabbage and Carrot Soup
Being healthy means much more than the absence of illness. Quality of life relies on a combination of our mental, physical, emotional, and social well-being. Everything from your personal behavior to your environment can impact your quality of life, and ultimately, how much you enjoy your golden years. If you want to experience a happy and healthy retirement, it’s important to address every facet of your health and make small tweaks to your habits every single day. Here are some simple steps you can take to upgrade your health right now.
Maintain Your Independence with Modern Technology
Thanks to modern technology, an increasing number of seniors are able to keep their independence and live at home comfortably. For example, cell phones and video chat software can help seniors stay engaged with friends and family, reducing loneliness and the harmful effects that come with it. Medication reminders, heart monitors, pill dispensers, and telehealth systems can prevent illness from creeping up on you. Medical alert systems are also extremely helpful, monitoring the safety of seniors who are living alone and alerting family and medical professionals in the event of a medical emergency. Look for guidance on choosing the best medical alert system for your home. Even if you never need it, setting up this technology can give you greater confidence and peace of mind.
Control Chronic Ailments
It’s no secret that, as you age, aches and pains just become part of the routine. Some people don’t know, however, that there are ways to treat ongoing inflammation that causes it. Staying hydrated and daily exercise are a great place to start, since they help your body rid itself of contaminants and improved circulation. You should also eat a well-balanced diet and get enough rest. You can also try a natural supplement like cannabinoid oil (CBD) that reduces inflammation by helping your body naturally heal itself. More concentrated oils are often praised as the best for pain management, in particular, but any oil you choose should come from a reputable manufacturer. As always, you should consult your doctor before you add any supplement to your routine.
Treat Mental Health Problems
It’s easy for physical conditions to take priority over your mental health, but mental problems can actually worsen your health conditions. For example, even mild depression can reduce your immune system functioning and exacerbate fatigue, pain, and sleeping problems. Although it’s fine to experience periods of sadness or stress, remember that mental illness is not a normal part of getting older. Fortunately, anxiety and depression can be treated, so make sure you seek professional treatment if you’re struggling with these problems.
Get Active Every Day
Physical activity can help seniors manage their blood pressure, improve bone and joint health, preserve their cognitive functions, and enjoy more energy. Seniors who participate in daily physical activity may also fight off illness more easily and enjoy improved digestive functioning. According to the National Institute on Aging, seniors should focus on four types of exercises:
Pay Attention to Your Diet
Seniors are at a much higher risk of malnutrition than younger adults due to a loss of appetite and the body’s decreasing ability to absorb nutrients. Choose high-calorie and nutritionally dense foods so you get the most out of every bite you take. Focusing your diet on vital nutrients will help you fight a variety of age-related issues, from high blood pressure to memory loss.
Start a New Hobby
Hobbies can help you feel productive and give your life meaning after retirement. Learning something new is a great way to exercise your brain and keep your mind sharp. At the same time, having an enjoyable activity to engage in when you’re feeling stressed or anxious is a wonderful way to give yourself a happiness boost.
Try out some of the hobbies recommended for seniors by a Place for Mom.
Being a senior doesn’t mean being unhealthy and miserable. In fact, older adults tend to be happier and report higher levels of well-being than younger adults! If you’d like to join these individuals, take health-minded steps toward a higher quality of life every chance you get.
Guest Article by Jason Lewis, Caretaker & Personal Trainer specializing in senior care to learn more about Jason visit: Strongwell.org
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Marissa Vicario’s new book, Your Holistically Hot Transformation. In her book, she gives us heartfelt advice on how to take care of yourself, so you look and feel fantastic. I liked how this was more of a lifestyle book, and less of another diet book. In fact, she has a chapter dedicated exclusively to why diets don’t work and how calorie counting is unnecessary especially when you are eating whole foods.
She advocates for people to find what works for them, because we all have different health needs and nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all model. This may be jarring to some readers, who have no idea where to start, and like direction that restrictive diets provide, or if a doctor has put you on a elimination diet. Instead of “dieting,” she recommends viewing your nutrition as a journey rather than a destination ending in a number on the scale. And that’s something I can seriously get behind! Buy your copy of Holistically Hot Transformation by Marissa Vicario and get started on your journey to wellness.
I’ve wanted to do this post for long time, but it never felt right. I’ve struggled with adult acne for years, which is crazy considering that I never had it growing up. Since I was used to clear skin, the imperfections were intolerable. I usually acerbated the problem with my attempts at trying to get rid of them. I went through hundreds of dollars in products, until my wedding was months away before finally going to the dermatologist’s office. I saw a nurse practitioner who definitely knew a ton about adult acne. It took a few visits to finesse my skincare routine, since I have a sensitive, acne-prone, dry skin. Quite the combo, right?
I was put on a low dose of spironolactone to help with my hormonal acne, with good results. I was also prescribed Epiduo and Acuzone, which I continue to use today. They can be drying, so I like to use Acuzone in the morning and Epiduo at night. Sometimes I use them together, but they can be pretty strong and irritate my face. I also use a gel cleanser for oily, blemish-prone skin and skin recovery moisturizer for hypersensitive and irritable skin both from Avene. These products were recommended and purchased at the dermatologist’s office, but they can also be purchased at Dermstore.com. I’ve tried tons of products and they all cause breakouts, except this moisturizer. I put my skin through a lot trying to get rid of and prevent acne and it really does soothe the skin. I know these aren’t the greenest products available, but I personally feel better when I exercise more, which I do more often with clear skin. Plus, when your face looks like the walking dead, you get less picky. I know I don’t have before pictures for you guys, but there was no way I was letting a camera near my face when I had a bad case of acne. Seriously, I didn’t want to leave my apartment it got so bad at times.
Even with these products, I still had a bad habit of picking at my face. I feel like I’ve finally been able to overcome this bad habit I acquired. It’s been a month and a half and I haven’t picked my face! A while ago, I decided I needed a reward system that wasn’t too far into the future. Currently, I reward myself with a lipstick every week. Why this? I’ve tried other reward systems in the past that didn’t work. I’m convinced they failed because 1) I didn’t reward myself soon enough. You need to start enjoying your reward right away, and look forward to the next one in order to get emotionally invested. 2) Lipsticks are fun and something I don’t consider a makeup necessity, like foundation or concealer, which is mainly used to cover up imperfections like acne. Lipstick also comes in an infinite about of colors and variety, so you’ll stay motivated to get more. It is also a product that goes on your lips, not your face, which means you won’t have to worry about new makeup causing you acne. I’d love to be able to go out with just lipstick on and clear skin, and this reward reminds me of that. 3) There is a big variety is price. If your budget doesn’t allow expensive rewards, drugstore lipstick is can be found super cheap. There are also brands that are a little more expensive than drugstore makeup, and of course, luxury brands. Compared to the amount of money I used to spend on skincare products, even luxury lipstick less expensive.
As far as my diet is concerned, sugar makes my hormonal acne worse. That’s why I prefer low sugar diets, such as the paleo diet. I’m not trying to lose weight, and I am not strict about my diet, except when it comes to dairy. That will make me feel congested and sick. I usually cook paleo food and eat gluten and dairy free when I go out, but I don’t try to be perfect, just healthy … ish. This lets me maintain my weight, indulge in my cravings when they get out of control and still eat mostly healthy. But, everyone’s body has different needs and diets should be customized to your mental and physical well being. Just like skincare routines, what works for me might not work for you.
Disclaimer: I’m not being paid, nor have I received free products for anything mentioned in this post.